On the home front

Tea-towel loops annoyed you more than the prospect of a mansion tax

What do you think will happen to house prices this year? Halifax reported last
week that the public is only slightly less confident about the state of the
housing market than estate agents or statisticians are. Two-thirds of
Britons expect the average price to be higher in 12 months; only 6% think
they will be lower. One in five predict no change. The banking chain also
said that prices rose by 2.2% in the three months to January and 9.7% over
the year.

The real test to see if your market is on the winning side is the open
viewing. Surveyors monitor the number of viewings per deal, and the length
of time property remains on the market, but that hides a multitude of
experiences. Before the bubble and the Big Short, open viewings meant a
house was struggling to sell; now they’re a means for an agent to shepherd